Golf club



Oct. 12 Q1926 H 1,602,567

r w. COLWELL I I GOLF CLUB Filed July. '21, 1926 WM ,ZM

Sywewbpz Patented Oct. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,602,567 PATENT OFFICE.

WORTH COLWELL, 0F FORESTHILLS, NEW YORK.

GOLF CLUB.

Application filed July 21,

My invention relates particularly to a golf club designed to be used to advantage in certain situations in the playing of the game of golf.

The object of my invention is to rovide a golf club of improved construction which is adapted to be used by beginners, and others in unusual situations, so that the ball may be struck thereby without risk of damage to the club. More particularly, the ob; ject of my invention is to provide a golf club constructed in such a manner that the club can not be damaged by imperfect shots made by beginners, and which is of such a character that'a ball may be played from the top of a jagged rock, or from the frozen ground, or from among stones, without damaging the club, thereby gaining distance by the shot which would otherwise be impossible.

Further objects of my invention will appear from the detailed description of the same hereinafter.

lVhile my invention is capable of embodiment in many different forms for the purpose of illustration I have shown only one form of the same in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a golf club head made in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same;

Figure 8 is a cross-section taken on line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4: is an elevation of a golf club carrying said head.

In carrying out my invention I preferably construct the head of the club from rubber, as, for example soft rubber, although the head of the same may be constructed from other similar elastic materials, or substitutes for rubber.

In the drawings I have shown a golf club having a shaft 1 made of wood, or hollow steel tubing, or twisted wire, or in any other suitable way, having a handle 2 made with the usual wrappings of leather, etc. The lower end of the shaft 1 carries a golf club head 3 made in the form of any one of the different kinds of golf clubs used, but preferably in the form of one of the wooden club heads adapted to be used for distance shots, as, for example, a driver, a brassie, or a spoon, and is made of any one of the materials above referred to,but preferably of soft rubber. The head 3 may be made by 1926. Serial No. 123,834.

molding the same from soft rubber, and may, if desired, contain a plurality of layers of woven fabric 4 and 5 therein to strengthen the same, said layers of fabric, as shown in Figure 2, being arranged to extend around and near the edge of a body portion 6 of the head, then upwardly through an ankle portion 7 of said head, and around a socket 8 provided above the ankle portion for receiving the lower end of the shaft 1. The lower end of the shaft 1 terminates a considerable distance above the main body portion 6 of the golf club head in order to pro vide a bendable ankle portion 9 immediately adjacent to the said main body portion of the head in order to enable the same to bend or give to some extent in case the head meets an obstruction, as for example a stone or an elevated portion of frozen ground, when the ball is hit. The extreme upper end of the head of the club may, of course, be provided with the usual windings of thread 10 in order to hold the head firmly upon the shaft 1. It will-be noted, furthermore, that the golf club, being constructed in this manner, has the main body portion 6 of the same uniformly supported from the shaft 1 and so that parts of the body portion 6 may yield uniformly with regard to the shaft 1 from which it is supported, thus epallpling distance shots to be made with the c u The golf club made in accordance with my invention is tobe used by beginners in any position of the ball, or by others when the ball has an undesirable position in which it is difficult to hit the ball, or wherethe shot is likely to result in damage to a club of ordinary construction. Such positions may be, for example, where the ball is restingupon a jagged stone or among gravel or small stones, or upon a rough portion of frozen ground, also, when the ball is against a wall,.fence or tree, etc. When the ball, having a lie as above described, is hit by the club made in accordance with my invention, the head of the club will yield or give in case any obstruction is encountered, as when the club comes in contact with a large stone wall, fence or tree, etc., for'example, the main body portion 6 of the head of the club will readily give at the bendable ankle 9 thereof so as to prevent injury to the club head. It has been found that with a club constructed in this manner the ball may be played from what would ordinarily be a completely unplayable lie. At the same time the use of the club by beginners instills confidence and thereby enables rapid progress to be made in learning the technique of the game.

W ith the golf club constructed as above, furthermore, it will be understood that inasmuch as the entire body portion of the head is uniformly supported from the lower end of the shaft 1, the face of the head will strike the ball uniformly and will enable distance shots to be obtained, when desired, and without damage to the club.

Vv hile I have described my invention above in detail I wish it to be understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the same.

I claim:

1. A golf club having a head made of a soft elastic material and provided with a soft yielding ankle.

2. A golf club having a head made of a soft elastic material and provided with a yielding ankle and a shaft terminating at a point above the yielding ankle. I

3. A golf club having a head made of a soft elastic material with a fabric reinforcement therein and provided with a soft yielding ankle.

i. A golf club having a head made of a soft elastic material with a fabric reinforcement therein and provided With a yielding ankle and a shaft terminating at a point above the yielding ankle.

5. A golf club having a head made of soft rubber and provided with a soft yielding ankle.

6. A golf club having ahead made of soft rubber and provided with a yielding ankle and a shaft terminating at a point above the yielding ankle.

7. A golf club having a head made of soft rubber With a fabric reinforcement therein and provided with a soft yielding ankle.

8. A golf club having a head made of soft rubber with a fabric reinforcement therein and provided with a yielding ankle and a shaft terminating at a point above the yielding ankle.

9. A golf club having a head shaped as in a wooden golf club, made of soft rubber and provided with a soft yielding ankle.

10. A golf club having a head shaped as in a wooden golf club, made of soft rubber and provided with a yielding ankle and a shaft terminating at a point above the yielding ankle.

11. A golf club having a head shaped as in a wooden golf club, made of soft rubber with a fabric reinforcement therein and provided with a soft yielding ankle.

12. A golf club having a head shaped as in a wooden golf club head, made of soft rubber with a fabric reinforcement therein and provided with a yielding ankle and a shaft terminating at a point above the yield ing ankle In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of July, 1926.

WORTH COLVVELL.

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